stetson



UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIcE.

, MARY V. STETSON AND WILLIAM BEDELL, VOF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLESH-*BRUSHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.' 259,939, dated June 20, 1882.

Application nien Aprnl, ieee. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that we,MAnY VILLETTE SrE'rsoN and WILLIAM BEDELL, both of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Flesh-Brushing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a means whereby substantially the entire surface of the body may be brushed with the effect of the application of a. leslrbrush or its equivalent at one and the same time, thereby effecting a great saving of time and of .exertion in this operation of the toilet.

The invention comprises certain novel combinations of parts, whereby the aforesaid object is secured.

.Figure l, is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, of an apparatus cou-l structed accordingtooursaidinvention. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views, representing a modiication of our said invention. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the lines y y of Figs. 1 and 2.

- A is a base or pedestal, in the upper side of which is formed an annular groove, a, having an arc-shaped cross-section, as indicated in Fig. 2. Provided rigidly upon the central portion of this base A is a pedestal, B, of circular form. Goncentric with this pedestal is an annular base-plate, C, in the under side of which is an annular groove, b, arc-shaped in its crosssection to correspond with the groove a, and coincident with and above said groove a.

Situated between the base A and base-plate C, with their lower portions in the groove a and their upper portions in the groove b, are

spherical rollers D, sufficient in number and' size to support the baseplate C above the base A and to permit the rotation of the base-plate C around the pedestal B.

In order that the base-plate C may not be displaced, there is provided upon the pedestal B a plate, E, the edges of which project overthe vadjacent upper inner edge of the base-plate C, and thereby prevent the tilting ofthe said baseplate. The plate E, placed upon the pedestal B, as aforesaid, should be of such diameter that a person Vcan eonvenientlystand thereon.

Extending upward from the annular baseplate C, and substantially concentric with the axis of the pedestal B, areany desired num- 'top of the apparatus.

ber of bars F, which are designed to be more or less elastic. The upper ends of these bars F are attached to a ling, G, which forms the The bars F aforesaid occupy, say, two-thirds of the circumference of the apparatus, leaving one-third of the said circumference to be occupied by a door, presently hereinafter explained. Each alternate one of the bars F is curved outward somewhat above the center thereof, as shown at d, and these bars which are curved outward, as aforesaid, form the stocks or backs of long vertical brushes I, which said brushes project inward, as indicated in Figs. l, 2, and 5. These brushes may be made of any suitable niaterial; but in practice it is `found preferable to make them of the well-known material termed sea-root, which aiiords elastic fibers several inches in length, and capable of yielding more or less, las is requiredv in the operation ot' the apparatus, as hereinafter explained.

The bars F, alternating with those curved outward, as just explained, are intended to have no brushes, and are designed to be strai gh t, but may, if preferred, be curved. The object of such reverse contour of each alternate bar F with those alternating therewith is to aiord a means by which the frame-work of which said bars form a portion may be revolved around the person, as hereinafter explained.

v In order to afford access to the interior of the apparatus, the one-third of the circumference hereinbefore spoken of is occupied by a door composed of bars F', which correspond in every respect with the bars'F of the other portions of the circumference ofthe apparatus, except in this respect: that the bars F instead of being fixed direct to the base-plate G and ring G, have their ends attached to sectors J and K. The bars F at theends of said sectors are adjacent tothe bars F, and one of the said bars F' is hinged to the adjacent one of the bars F, so that the bars F and the sectors J and K may swing in and out to constitute, as it were, a door to the apparatus. Each alternate oneot the bars F/ is provided with brushes in the same manner as each alternate one of vthe bars F, as hereinbefore explained. It is preferable that the two bars thus hinged together should be those devoid of brushes, each alternate bar of the door aforesaid being devoid of brushes and provided with a IOO curvature opposite to that of the bars F thereof to which brushes are provided, as aforesaid. When the door is swung shut its free or swinging edge is temporarily connected to the ad- 5 jacent one of the bars F by a suitable latch,

or catch, or pin, or other fastening which will hold the door closed.

The person desiring to use the apparatus passes within the same and closes the door, and then, by seizing one of the straight bars, rotates the bars F F', and consequently the vertical brushes, around the person at any rate of speed desired, and inasmuch as the fibers ot' the brushes have sufficient length to yield more or less to the pressure upon the body, it follows that they exert an elastic brushing action similar in character to but much greater in extent than the action of the ordinary fleshbrush, and inasmuch as this brushing is exerted upon substantially the entire surface of the person, exclusive of the head and neck, it follows that the operation of brushing is very materially reduced in time and increased in efficiency.

Instead of the spheres D, rollers of cylindrical or any other suitable contour may be used. Ordinarily one size of the machine will be available for persons of different sizes and statures, inasmuch as the length ot' the material of which tlie brushes are made enables it to yield more or less, according as the person is larger or smaller. In those cases, however, where it is desirable that the machine may be made adjustable to different sizes, the top G may be constructed as represented in Figs. 3 and 4-that is to say, with radial slots a', into which are fitted the upper ends of the bars F, the said bars being provided .with screwthreads and with nuts b b, one above and one below the adjacent portion of the top ring, G, so that they may be tightened close against the edges of the slots, so that by this means the upper ends of the bars F may be placed farther from or nearer to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, as occasion may require.

Instead of the nuts b b, other tightening devices which will readily suggest themselves to an ordinarily-skilled mechanic may be employcd.

What we cla-im as our invention is- 1. In a flesh-brushing apparatus, the combination of a series or system of substantially vertical brushes and a support for sustaining the person to be acted upon by the rotation of said brushes, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination'of acircular, or substantially circular, series ot' longitudinal brushes, au annular base-plate, a top ring, a hase for supporting the base-plate, and a pedestal for supporting the person to be operated upon, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination ofthe annular base-plate G, the base A, spheres or rollers D, and the annular system of longitudinal brushes arranged to rotate around the axis of the pedestal, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. 'lhe combination of the plate l1", pedestal B, base A, rollers or spheres D, annularbaseplate C, top ring, G, and the system of longitudinal brushes, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The combination, with the annular baseplate C, top ring, G, and bars F, of the longitudinal brushes, with thedoorcomposed ofbars F, and Asectors .I and K, all substantiallyas and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. The combination of the bars F, which are provided with brushes and are curved outward at d, with the alternating straight bars ,Y

F, which are devoid yof brushes, the base-ring G, and the top ring, G, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

7. 'Ihetop ring, G, constructed with the ra dial slots a', the longitudinal series of bars F, provided with brushes, the base-ring (l, and means, substantially as described, for fastening the upper ends of the bars F to the top ring, G, at a greater or less distance from the axis thereof, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

MARY VILLETTE STETSON. WILLIAM BEDELL. Witnesses:

Roer. W. MATTHEWS, THOMAS E. GRossMAN. 

